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What are the reasons for choosing a karo step over traditional baffles?

hey Knotty, I've got a Karo UQ on my projects list for later this winter. My reason---having made 3 down UQs using "traditional" baffles----is that a Karo UQ will be much easier to fill with the down. Moving 12 oz of down with a vacuum cleaner setup---about 3 grams at a time---gets real old real fast.

so that's my intention anyway....I have a few other things I have to make first.

hey Knotty, I've got a Karo UQ on my projects list for later this winter. My reason---having made 3 down UQs using "traditional" baffles----is that a Karo UQ will be much easier to fill with the down. Moving 12 oz of down with a vacuum cleaner setup---about 3 grams at a time---gets real old real fast.

so that's my intention anyway....I have a few other things I have to make first.

Thanks for the explanation Grizz. Has anyone done a karo step differential cut quilt or is that just crazy talk?

samiam2714 I'm glad you got thru the problems of construction, no I didn't use the tent method for filling. I did use the vacuum wand for a bit but when I discovered that I could snake a bag of down past 2 or 3 steps and dump it, I was done in no time.

Knotty I choose the Karo Step over traditional baffles because I liked the look and the added functionality of being able to move down around which works well by the way and stays
put once there.

Originally Posted by JerryW

Looks great, PKT. The next one will be easy, right?

Jerry

Jerry your pics was my inspiration that puff monster you made was awesome! I'd look at your pics and others for hours. Easier next time??? Man I'd hope so
NCPatrick jerry helped me with the basic steps and you can get at those threads by doing a search on the subject, I marked out top and bottom with blue painters tape where the baffles would be and numbered them on the tape and the baffle that helped me allot.

... Has anyone done a karo step differential cut quilt or is that just crazy talk?

Does differential on the top really buy you that much??

I also assume using boxed sides like Tee Dee did would provide much of the same benefit as differential.

My zero experience with making differential quilts may show here.

My thoughts are:
In a sleeping bag or other "tube" you're zipped into, differential matters because as you push on the sides with elbows, knees, feet or whatever, the inside liner gets tight but the outside shell is larger so down can still loft .
Since you're not "trapped" in a top quilt, ie. your body is not holding it down on the bottom, it is just laying on top of you.
For flat sheet projects, like this quilt design, differential will make it no longer a flat sheet project.
Boxing helps with keeping the outside away from the inside even around the edges.
I absolutley see the benefit for differential cut on an underquilt where you're pulling the liner tight.

.....
I also assume using boxed sides like Tee Dee did would provide much of the same benefit as differential.
...............

The boxed sides on TeeDee's differential cut under quilts do a lot to mimic the differential cut.

We have found, after making and using them, that the boxed sides of the under quilts let the outer fabric hang much lower, thus providing a LOT of freedom for that outer layer to "hang loose". Between the differential cut and the boxed sides, the only thing keeping the outer layer from the ground are the baffles.

Now the under quilts aren't Karo step, only the top quilts were made karo step because TeeDee wasn't too sure just how much the steps would constrain the down. From our experience with the top quits, I don't think that doing karo step under quilts would be any problem. Just remember to shake the quilt every morning and evening before use and it should be fine.